Yesterday morning started off on the wrong foot. I had some big, heavy duty projects to work on. When that’s the case, I usually dress more comfortably (not quite as comfortably as the guy on the left, but it’s definitely more fun than wearing a tie). I say it helps me focus better; it might be the placebo effect, but hey, the results speak for themselves.

Anyway, I walk in and within five minutes a few people have given me that horrified look. You know the one. I can just hear them thinking…

He’s wearing jeans!?! Who died and made him El Presidente? He must do shoddy work, sleep in a tent, and eat roadkill when he’s not here looking like a slob. That redneck hillbilly goofball gives us all a bad name. I’d call HR, but, well, he’s it!

I had to speak up, and I fell back on one of my favorite principles when it comes to work: ROWE. The Results Only Work Environment basically says that you can work whenever, wherever, and wearing whatever, as long as the work gets done.

Funny side note-when I was looking for a good picture to go with this (yeah, not my smartest Google search ever) I found a hilarious list of reasons to go to work naked. My top 3 favorites:

• Inventive way to meet that special person in HR
• Your boss is always yelling, “I want to see your butt in here at 8:00 am!”
• “I’d love to chip in, but I left my wallet in my pants.”

On days when it’s necessary, I will happily throw on a tie and be all presentable. When I’m dressed in that manner I feel a different kind of focus, and I feel like it’s appropriate for some interactions (though not for the same reason as the famed red sweater Robin Schooling talks about here). However, even if I choose to wear jeans and a t-shirt doesn’t mean that my work product all the sudden turns to crap.

Am I the only one? Does anyone else feel more relaxed and better focused when dressing down?